The Future of Retail Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
No longer used only for gaming, Virtual Reality is adding a whole new dimension to the customer experience.
1. Microsoft Hololens
This technology allows users to blur the line between reality and virtual reality, with holograms. This allows people to communicate, collaborate and create in ways never thought possible before.
2. Augmented Reality; various stores
Retailers are using augmented/virtual reality technology as another way to make their products come alive. John Lewis (through Cimagine), are giving customers the ability to browse through an infinite showroom in-store, and Ferrari and Audi are experimenting with virtual showrooms. One of the leading companies in this area is Cimagine, which has the world’s largest AR deployment in retail through its work with ShopDirect.
3. Engage Works/Flux
This London-based company features an innovation lounge, where tech innovators collaborate to create cutting-edge new inventions.
4. Skignz
This innovative app can help users locate a person in a crowd or promote offers.
5. Oculus Rift
Using Oculus Rift technology and headphones, in this fully immersive experience, users can customize various parts of the car, including colors, leathers and sound systems.
6. Musion.com
This company is perhaps most famous for their Eyeliner projections, which display 3D holograms onstage during a performance, giving artists a unique and inventive way to connect with their fans.
About the author

Joel Goldstein
Joel is the “go-to” person when trying to place a new product into retail. He is the author of Amazon’s best selling book Start From Success, and host of RetailSummit.live . Focused on the retail sector, he is able to advise you where your product will be best received.
He has contributed to Entrepreneur, Forbes, Inc. and regularly is used as a retail industry expert on Fox News. Joel has the experience needed to develop a actionable go-to-market strategy, placing product on retail shelves nationwide in independent stores and with major retailers.